The Park, Thursday Evening

[selfhelphero]

Billy had a lot of things on his mind as he made his way to the pond in the park. Hanukkah was coming up, with the play for Drama class nearly smack in the middle, and he'd have to go home and see his parents for the first time since he'd kind of gotten their apartment blown up - oh, and his boyfriend and some other folks were black and white and he still hadn't been able to figure out if that was bad, or just weird.

Clearly, spending some quality feeding time with the ducks was the best way to go to clear his thoughts.

[Expecting one, but open!]

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[dollpocalypse]

Christopher, in his letterman's sweater with a baseball and glove in one hand, was whistling as he strolled through the park. "Hi-de-ho!" he called cheerfully as he spotted Billy, offering him a wave. "How are you today?"

[selfhelphero]

Billy wasn't sure what was more strange - Topher's coloring or what he was wearing and carrying. "Uh, I'm doing okay, I guess. How are you?"

[dollpocalypse]

"Dandy, thanks!" Christopher replied. "Gosh, are you here feeding the ducks? I'd sure love to help, if you'd have me."

[selfhelphero]

"Uh." Billy had a feeling he'd be saying that a lot for the moment. "Sure, some company would be nice, and I don't think the ducks would mind."

[dollpocalypse]

"Animals do love me," Chris admitted, depositing his ball and glove on the ground to go help. "I'm Christopher. You've probably seen me around, I'm on the baseball team."

Uh.

[selfhelphero]

Uh indeed. "I didn't realize we had a baseball team," Billy said, trying not to get completely weirded out. Stupid Fandom and its stupid weirdness making Topher a stupid jock. "I mean, that's really awesome. Do you like sports?"

[dollpocalypse]

"I sure do," Christopher said proudly. "Everyone does! Don't you?"

DON'T TELL HIM YOU WEREN'T ROOTING FOR HIM IN THE BIG GAME, BILLY. HE MIGHT HAVE TO GET SAD.

[selfhelphero]

"I... like football," Billy said uncertainly. At least he knew the names of some of the teams?

[dollpocalypse]

"Football's rad, but not as rad as baseball," Chris countered energetically. Yeah, Billy, football players' pants were nowhere near as tight as baseball players'. "Have you ever played? We can play catch, if you want. It's the great American pastime!"

...Right.

[selfhelphero]

There was a small part of Billy that was tempted to say yes to that, but limiting the number of things that would embarrass Topher when this was all over seemed like the better way to go. "Well um... gosh? I'd love to, but I don't want the poor ducks to go hungry," he said, offering Topher the bag of bread he had.

[dollpocalypse]

Because Billy was the best person in the whole world and that was final. No other applicants need apply.

"Aw, shucks. Well, alright then," Christopher said, collecting some bread from the bag and tearing it into pieces to toss into the water. "So if you don't dig baseball, what do you like?"

[selfhelphero]

"I... well, I like reading," Billy said. He could have come up with a lie, he supposed, but it wasn't easy to lie to Topher, even when things were weird. "And I like computers." Because that was what jocks loved to hear, right?

[dollpocalypse]

"Computers?" Christopher repeated, but he didn't sound judgmental so much as just... puzzled. "What's that?"

You know, just in case Billy had needed convincing that there was Fandom magic afoot.

[selfhelphero]

Oh, don't mind Billy, he was just going to choke for a second. "Computers? You know, the really awesome things that connect the world?"

[dollpocalypse]

"Ah, you mean telephones!" Christopher corrected him. "They sure are the bomb, aren't they? How else could we hear from chicks between school one day and school the next morning, eh?"

What.

[selfhelphero]

Oh god, this was worse than Billy thought. "You like hearing from chicks?" he asked, before he could stop himself.

[dollpocalypse]

"They certainly aren't as thrilling as a good ball game," Christopher clarified, "but I sure like talking to a fine doll as much as the next fella. I haven't gone steady yet, but I can sure hope, you dig?"

That seemed unlikely.

[selfhelphero]

Thank goodness for the ducks, because Billy needed something to focus on so he didn't grab Topher by the shoulders and try to shake sense back into him. "Yeah, I totally dig," he said. "I bet baseball helps reel the ladies in, huh?"

[dollpocalypse]

Christopher shot Billy a winning smile at that. "Ba-zing," he confirmed. Uh, sort of. "How about you, pallio? You can't do too bad, I know a ton of girls who go for earthbound guys with jets like you."

[selfhelphero]

It took a few long moments for Billy to figure out what Topher was saying, and he still wasn't entirely certain when he said, "Maybe, but I haven't had much luck lately. I don't think I'm very good with girls." That, at least, was the honest truth.

[dollpocalypse]

Fifties speech was hard, it was true. Good thing websites existed to help with that.

"Well, chicks aren't the only thing in the world," Christopher decided. "There's still ball and cars and 'computers,' eh? No sense going ape over babes, that's what I'm always saying."

[selfhelphero]

"Yeah, I agree. There's still time for, er, babes later. We've got to enjoy our freedom while we can, right?"

He was totally making Topher buy him ice cream or something when this was all over, to pay for the mental trauma of this conversation.